The Problem with that word....

"Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; Niggas is the ones with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." Tupac Shakur "Violent" -2Pacalypse Now


I'm sitting here surfing the net while playing Katt Williams (Money Mike) comedy special on HBO from last night (Thank goodness for TiVo!!!). Katt, comical genius! I think I laughed from the beginning to the end. The only thing I had a problem with was that use of a word that has been taboo for years and years. The infamous N word. That word came out of his mouth in every sentence and the audience was laughing it up. It's funny as hell but who really gets the last laugh?

In the United States, the word nigger was not originally considered derogatory, but merely denotative of black, as it was in much of the world. In nineteenth-century literature, there are many uses of the word with no intended negative connotation. The perception of the term as derogatory is because of the fact that my people were widely regarded as inferior, lazy, ignorant, thugs, imbeciles, and plain stupid, by many who felt superior by us at the time (still is by few).

It has always been in our culture to seek a good out of every situation; thus the saying, When handed lemons, make lemonade. The N word has been an example of that to some. Some feel that word is a term of endearment while others can't understand why is it still in use. For years I have been on the fence regarding this subject. My standpoint was "it's cool as long as we don't use it in public or around White people" or "I'm not saying nigger but nigga" Now, I choose not to use the word period. I used to say it so much that I still slip every now and then when conversing among friends but that doesn't mean it's still justifiable.

Everything surrounding the things I enjoy depends heavenly on this word; hip hop music, Boondocks, Dave Chappelle Show, etc. It's bad enough my peeps (especially in the hip hop game) is fascinated with the life of pimps and hoes but to also be cool with the N word rubs me the wrong way especially when I know the pain this word is associated with. I'm a serious hip hop head and some of my favorite artists use this word every time they breathe and it's somewhat sad. One book in my collection, Nigger by Randall Kennedy focuses on the development of the word and traces it's usage and meaning throughout the decades. Upon reading this book was when I made the revelation to not use the word altogether. It's not a term of endearment. This word was used to taunt and degrade our ancestors and forerunners in the Civil Rights era and still used today to degrade my people. No matter how we chopped up the spelling and try to change the meaning it still boils down to that ugly word....NIGGER. Why would we still want to use that word is beyond me. The only thing we are doing by continuing to use this word is encouraging other cultures to call us this as well. It's almost reverse racism in a sense ( I know I may get flack for just saying that). We have the pass to say it freely but if someone from another race , preferably White say it, all hell will break loose....IMMEDIATELY! It's not right neither way...it's a word that should be rid of forever.

My fellow young people will continue to say that our usage of the N word today is equilavent to other cultures usage of cracker, spic, or honky. (for the record, I don't condone any usage of the derogatory words, period!) Funny, I don't hear that in everyday language nor do I see it on music lyrics or on TV unless it's intended to offend someone. I want my fellow young peeps to wake up and realize that we don't accomplish anything by using this word. They look up to the Katt Williams' and the Ludacris' of the world but don't pay attention the phenomenal satire of Dave Chappelle and Aaron McGruder (in case you didn't know, they're not using the term just for laughs). Maybe one day we'll realize.

My next goal....to rid the world of sagging pants. If they really knew what that stood for I'm sure these young men wouldn't be doing it. LOL!!!


Suggested insight....

www.abolishthenword.com

Nigger by Randall Kennedy
Nigger by Dick Gregory

Will 2008 ever get here???

As I look on CNN today, I see Bush and his comrades trying to push this Detainee Bill....another scapegoat bill used for blanketing the mistakes and misjudgements of the Bush Administration. For the past 5 years, the Bush Administration has made mistake after mistake after mistake and yet no one is standing up to give him what he deserve...an impeachment ( I can think of other things but I do not need the Secret Service at my doorstep right now).

After 9/11, America put all differences aside to mourn, support and stand up for what our country was based on. A lot of us had hatred in our hearts for the people who did this to us and wanted revenge. I personally do not believe in an eye for an eye way of dealing with things but I felt that way strongly during the attacks.

Immediately we knew Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda were responsible for the whole incident; yet we made the decision to invade and proclaim war on Saddam and Iraq for they had WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction). I was only a college student then, a senior at Auburn University and didn't fully understand the shadiness and imcompetence of our nation's government but it was odd to me that we were about to invade war on a place that didn't have anything to do with 9/11...at least that what's I thought. I could've sworn it was Osama and Al Queda in Afghanistan that permantely removed two vivacious landmarks of New York's skyline but I'm trusting that American made the right decision.

Three years later, no weapons of mass destruction, no peace in Iraq and definitely no Osama. Now it has come out that, oops "there was no connection between Saddam and al Queda...our bad" I'm no political scientist...I was only a public administration major but that seemed like common sense 3 YEARS ago. We have lost over 1500 American soldiers and civilians who were sent overseas to protect our country and I won't begin to label how many civilian Iraqi lives were lost during this liberation. This adminsitration has been the worst ever. Gas prices have skyrocketed for no apparent reason, last year we witnessed a third world situation in our own nation due to the negligence of the government (from both Democratic and Republican sides), and I still have yet to see weapons of mass destruction. Just becasuse we are a superpower, we don't have to act like one, so quick to run 0verseas to help those that seem in need, neglecting the problems we face over here; poverty, racism, sexism, etc.


It's amazing how we can impeach a president for getting head in the office but can't impeach one who has truly f****d the nation. Where in the world is Kenneth Starr?

Love Experience...

LOVE: Main Entry: love Pronunciation: 'l&vFunction: noun Etymology: Middle English, (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests old b : an assurance of love

Pretty crazy for me to be in front of a computer on a Saturday night. It's not because I have no social life...Actually I can be a social butterfly at times. Sometimes a female simply needs to be alone and relax. I live in a small city where you can easily see the same people out doing the same things...Something you can simply get tired of QUICK!

Anyway, moving on, as I'm chilling on the computer, I'm listening to one of my favorite CDs, Raheem DeVaughn: The Love Experience. One of the better albums of 2005 and highly slept on. Purely an artist with a lot of potential in the Neo Soul game (speaking of which, where in the hell is Musiq Soulchild?) I'm listening to his second cut off of the album with the same title as the album. Pretty nice jam, makes one reminiscent of their own "love experience". I'm sure they have been a compilation of both good and bad but I'm sure we've all have had some sort of experience at one point of our lives. I can recall a few myself but most of mine have been horrid... From faults of both my own and my ex. Despite the drama that I have endured...Deception...informalities...a boy trying to portray a man...it still doesn't negate the fact that they were "Love" experiences. I say Love experiences because emotions were involved...intensely.

Love is simply a word nowadays. Amazing how I looked up the definition on MerriamWebster online to see that part of the definition of Love is "attraction based on sexual desire"...very interesting seeing how many young uns feel that is what love is...simply sex, more from my female counterparts though. What strong love is, many have long forgotten. In these times, we seem to be more self involved and out to get our own while being negligent to what others feel. And I'm sure my women can agree that they have heard the popular phrase "I love you but I'm not in love with you" ...popular phrase for the masses.

Putting this into correlation with what the perception of love is and my "love experiences" ...can I say that they were actually love experiences? I guess I can simply for the fact that emotions were strong and we had a loyalty to one another. Loyalty is part of the foundation for love...without that, it will definitely crumble. What some feel were love, weren't. I'm only 25 and never had a goal to be in love, just something that happened in one point in my life and then it was a debate...trying to figure out whether I was actually in love or just a comfort zone. As I have this song on repeat and listen to it "one mo gin", one can't ignore their own love experiences. I've had good experiences but none that I would consider as being nostalgic or as impressive as Raheem's.

I'm sure my first post have come across as being simply a ramble of thoughts...and they are. I'm simply speaking on what's coming to mind...no formation actually needed.